Sarah Normenson
Sarah Herschlag Normenson (born April 23, 2819 in Gan Kofim, Padrilka; died October 4, 2914 in Ir Shalom, Tadraki) was a career diplomat and politician. She served as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Yishelem to the Holy Luthori Empire, as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Yishelem, as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Beiteynuese Republic, and as the 4th BNR National Party Chairman. Early Life and Career Sarah Herschlag Normenson was born on April 23, 2819 at 6:12 p.m. at Gan Kofim-Edwards Regional Hospital in Gan Kofim, Padrilka. Her parents were Lela Barbara Normenson (née Herschlag), an art teacher, and Karl Paul Normenson, an orthodontist. Karl Normenson's Hulstrian descendants had fled to Padrilka in the 1700s to escape persecution for their Jewish beliefs. Sarah Normenson enrolled at Birahteynu Schultzist University's pre-law program in 2837, the same year that Theodoros Waltoona graduated with his law degree. The two did meet, spurring a friendship that would last until Mr. Waltoona's death, and that would propel Sarah into politics and diplomacy. Ms. Normenson graduated from the university in 2841 with a degree in pre-law and, following in Waltoona's footsteps, immediately re-enrolled and graduated with a law degree in 2845. She found work at the Beth Haccherem, Padrilka office of The Royal Kafuri Company as a legal consultant. She married Moishe Ariel, who would later become a lieutenant colonel in the National Army of the Beiteynuese Republic (NABR) and command armor against Luthori forces outside of Yishalem during the Beiteynu-Luthori War, in 2847; they met at university. (Lt. Col. Ariel died in 2901.) They had one daughter together, Sarah Normenson Ariel, in 2850. Diplomatic Career Ambassadorship When Theodoros Waltoona was appointed Head of Government of the Kingdom of Yishelem in 2852, he appointed Sarah Normenson as Ambassador to the Holy Luthori Empire, as she had minored in foreign affairs at university; she served as ambassador until 2860. Minister of Foreign Affairs When the BNR won positions in a cabinet proposal in 2860, Sarah Normenson was given the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Throughout the whole Beiteynu-Luthori War and Theodoros Waltoona's first presidency, Sarah Normenson served as foreign affairs minister. After the war ended in 2875, she also served as an on-call representative for cultural issues at the Beiteynu-Luthori Peace Conference. She was Minister of Foreign Affairs until 2880. Political Career Theodoros Waltoona re-founded the Bismarckian National Resistance (BNR) in 2851 and, knowing his friend Sarah's beliefs were compatible with those of the BNR, asked her to join the party as a paid legal consultant. She happily accepted the job offer. After Theodoros Yosef Greene Waltoona's resignation as BNR National Party Chairman in 2882, Sarah was elected party chairman. During her tenure, she implemented the new policy that BNR National Party Chairmen could not serve for more than ten years consecutively. She honored this rule, with Oscar Weinstein being elected party chairman in 2892. To this day, Sarah's rule has been honored. Sarah Normenson retired from politics and diplomacy that same year, 2892, and retired to Ir Shalom, Tadraki, her husband's hometown. Death and Legacy Sarah Normenson died on October 4, 2914 at her home in Ir Shalom, Tadraki after coming down with a double pneumonia a few months before. After Sarah's death, Governor-General and BNR National Party Chairman Aaron Kipat-Hasela declared the whole day of October 5 a National Day of Mourning throughout the whole nation. Sarah's funeral was held on October 7 at Tadraki State Synagogue in Ir Shalom. In attendance were his family, friends, Governor-General Kipat-Hasela, Prime Minister Shiri "Goldie" Golda Keshet, and a few other government officials.